I love to bake, so it was no surprise that in my Hart of Texas Murder Mystery series, Rosie Hart also loves to bake. In fact, she has her own baking business, From the Hart, and she’s way more skilled than I am! Actually, Rosie hasn’t yet made a pavlova, but I wanted to include a recipe that reflected our Christmases here in Australia, and not too complicated. We all get busy enough at this time of the year, so something relatively easy that’s still a decadent treat? Yes, and yes!
I’ve been making this pavlova for over 40 years. The recipe was passed from a friend, and quickly became the most often requested, especially by my family. Our Christmas Days are hot, and this is just a lovely light dessert after a big meal. I guess it wouldn’t be Christmas here without what the kids call Kaz’s Pav!
Light as a Feather Pavlova
INGREDIENTS
6 egg whites
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. white vinegar
Good pinch cream of tartar
Topping:
1 pint double cream
1 banana
Handful of strawberries
3 fresh passionfruit
2 dessertspoons lemon juice or 1/2 cup fizzy lemonade (dip banana slices to prevent from turning brown.)
DIRECTIONS
Set oven to 350F (180c)
Separate eggs very carefully. (Even the tiniest speck of yolk will not allow whites to whip properly.)
Ensure the mixing bowl is perfectly clean and dry before adding egg whites.
Using a stand mixer, thoroughly whip egg whites until peaks form.
Add sugar slowly while continuing to whip.
Add vanilla, vinegar and cream of tartar.
Continue whipping until the mixture is very firm, and the peaks will stand by themselves. (Feeling brave? Hold the inverted bowl over your head. It’s a sure test.)
Cover a flat baking tray with baking paper. Use little dabs of prepared meringue mixture in 4 or 5 places to secure the paper so it doesn’t slip around.
Carefully spoon the mixture onto the tray, building a high little drum-shape that is about 7 inches – no more – across. Smooth sides and flatten top with a spatula. The mixture will spread in the oven and there will be plenty, but it’s important to begin with this shape to ensure that lovely feather soft, marshmallow-like center. Otherwise, it will spread too thin and become hard and crunchy.
Place in oven and bake for 5 minutes only at 350F (180c).
Lower oven temp after 5 minutes to 240F (120c) and continue baking for one hour.
When the time is up, turn the oven off, but leave the pavlova in oven to cool completely. (At Christmastime, I will bake this the day before, the last bake of the day, and leave it in the oven overnight.)
It can also be stored for a day or two in an airtight container. Top with cream and preferred fruit – and serve!
Or top with cream, then add chopped pink and white marshmallows and grate chocolate, or crumble a Cadbury Flake bar, over the top. That’s how my grandchildren prefer it, and I often have to decorate the pavlova half and half to satisfy everybody.
This will serve 8 or more depending on serving portions.
For the topping:
Note: any preferred fruit can be used. I simply recommend the addition of at least one selection with a natural tartness or tang, such as fresh passionfruit. This can cut through all the sweetness of the meringue and give your dessert balance.
First, prepare the fruit – wash, peel, slice. Then whip cream until stiff. (Sugar is not needed as the meringue is so sweet.)
Additional notes:
This is an easy recipe to tweak to your own size requirements. E.g. 4 egg whites = 1 cup of sugar. 8 egg whites = 2 cups of sugar. (The size I usually have to make, though the accompanying image is simply a 4-egg version.) Temperatures and baking times will remain the same. Adjust the other ingredients accordingly. Also, the pav may split or collapse somewhat as it cools. This is fine. It all gets covered, and you will still have a soft, high pavlova inside.
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With A Corgi Conundrum being the fourth book in the series, I needed a new creative unaliving method. My husband and I are big spicy food eaters and watched a documentary on Hulu called “Super Hots,” thus the weapon was found.
This recipe is my husband’s dad’s “famous” recipe that is probably the best one we’ve ever had. You can make it spicier by adding more peppers, just be careful who you serve it to!
A Corgi Conundrum Chevy Salsa
INGREDIENTS
6 medium tomatoes
10 small jalapenos (red is best)
1/4 medium Spanish onion
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp. fresh cilantro (chopped)
2 tbsp. white vinegar
2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. liquid smoke (mesquite flavored)
DIRECTIONS
Preheat barbecue grill to high temperature.
Remove any stems from the tomatoes, then rub some oil over each tomato. (You may want to cut the tomatoes in half for easier grilling.)
You can leave the stems on the jalapenos.
Place the tomatoes on the grill and cook about 10 minutes.
Place the jalapenos onto the grill (Tip: To adjust the heat, cut in half and scoop out seeds, roasting skin side to the flame).
Allow tomatoes and jalapenos to cook an additional 10 minutes and turn.
When almost the entire surface of the peppers has charred black, you can remove from the grill. The tomatoes will turn partially black, but when the skin begins to come off, then they are done.
Put the peppers and tomatoes on a plate and let them cool. (TIP: Placing the tomatoes and peppers into a zip-top bag or placing a bowl upside down over them will make the skins easier to peel off later.)
When the tomatoes and peppers have cooled, remove most of the skin from the tomatoes and place them into a food processor.
Pinch the stem end to remove them from each of the peppers and place them into the food processor as well. Toss out the liquid that remains on the plate.
Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor and puree on high speed for 5-10 seconds or until the mixture has a smooth consistency.
Place the salsa into a covered container and chill for several hours or overnight while the flavors develop. Makes about 4 cups.
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Geri’s Super-Secret Christmas Cookie recipe is so very special to my family. I grew up with large, thick cut-out cookies displayed on a pretty silver platter with a doily at my Polish-American grandmother’s house, and my maternal Aunt Margie made cut-outs with her delectable cooked frosting. I combined the two and voila! A match made in cookie heaven.
This recipe is a perfect choice for my Tule cozy mystery series, Shop ‘Round the World. I envision Angel baking these up for Nate in A Santa Stabbing, and since Nate’s the one that owns Latte Love—Stonebridge’s favorite coffee shop—it makes sense that he’d help Angel with the frosting and sprinkling. I hope this special recipe makes your reading of A Santa Stabbing all the sweeter, and may your holidays be bright!
Geri’s Super-Secret Christmas Cookies
In the tradition of Jean Stachelski and the Kaleta Family. I usually double or triple this recipe so there is plenty to give away.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter (originally shortening, but I don’t use this)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 8-oz. carton sour cream
1 tsp. anise (you can use vanilla) extract
4 3/4 cups flour (King Arthur’s All Purpose is best)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp, baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
DIRECTIONS
Cream butter, gradually add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add egg, beat until well blended. Stir in sour cream and vanilla, mixing well.
Combine flour, baking powder and soda, salt; add to creamed mixture, beating well. Divide dough into thirds; cover and chill at least 1 hour. (note: you can chill for a few days if needed, this keeps your workload more even throughout the holidays).
Roll one portion of dough to 1/8 inch (I do more like 1/4 inch) thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut into desired shapes (trees, bells, stars, Santas, holly leaves). Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. You can sprinkle with colored sugar now if you’re not going to frost. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Repeat with remaining dough. Yield: about 8 dozen.
Geri’s Aunt Margie’s Sugar Cookie Frosting: Mix 1/2 cup of milk and 1 tablespoon cornstarch in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until it thickens. Stir the entire time (I use a metal whisk). Remove from the stove and allow to cool thoroughly. Whip up 1/2 cup butter (1 stick, softened) and 1 pound of confectioner’s sugar. Pour the cooled mixture into this while you are beating. Use food coloring as desired.
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Ginger is a favorite flavor in our house, from ginger ale to gingersnaps to crystallized ginger. So I knew I had to share our favorite ginger cookie recipe for this cozy holiday cookbook. These cookies are a spicy, chewy treat to share anytime of the year. Wren Winters and her friends in Player Elimination, the first of my Cardboard Cafe cozy mystery series, would love baking the dice-shaped cut-out cookies in this recipe to enjoy while spending a winter’s afternoon around the gaming table. You can buy dice-shaped cookie cutters online (or use any fun shape of your choice!). For an extra special touch, be sure to add the dots on the dice sides, called pips. Pip, Wren’s black and white cat, will be sure to approve!
Chewy Ginger Spice Cookies
PREP TIME: 10-15 min. | CHILL TIME: 1-plus hours | BAKE TIME: 12-14 min.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup white granulated sugar
1 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp. cold water
1 large egg
2 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. clove
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
DIRECTIONS
If baking immediately: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two large baking sheetswith parchment paper.
Beat together butter, shortening, sugar, salt, baking soda and baking powder. All mixing can be done with a pastry cutter or an electric mixer.
Beat in egg, brown sugar, and water.
Add the flour and spices and beat together until smooth. The mix will be somewhat firm and crumbly, but should press together easily.
At this point, refrigerate until ready to bake. For best results, refrigerate for 1+ hours so cut-out cookies will hold shape.
Form dough into a large ball and roll out on a floured surface with a rolling pin. Cut out cookies in whatever shape you prefer. (Alternatively, you can simply form 1-inch balls and place them on a cookie sheet).
If the cookies are soft, you can place them in the refrigerator for 10-20 minutes to firm up before baking.
Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until browning across the top. Sides will be crisp, but the middle will be soft. The cookies will still be puffed up when you take them out of the oven, but will drop as they cool.
Cool cookies thoroughly before icing. You’ll need an icing bag and a size no. 2 decorating tip for icing. Use white cookie icing to outline the facets of the dice. Allow the icing to set for approximately 10 minutes. Then use red and green (or color of choice) icing to flood in the dice faces. You may need to use a toothpick to spread out the icing to the edges. Let the flooded sections set 10 minutes before going back with white icing to add the pips (the spots on the dice sides representing numbers).
Alternatively, you can buy pre-made cookie icing already in a piping bag in the baking aisle of most grocery stores.
Makes approximately 24 two-inch cookies.
Cookie Icing
INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 tbsp. light corn syrup
2-3 tbsp. milk (or enough to reach desired consistency)
Food coloring of your choice
DIRECTIONS
Beat powdered sugar, vanilla extract, corn syrup and 1 tablespoon milk in a small bowl until smooth.
Add one tablespoon of milk at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
Stir in food coloring to reach desired color. Decorate cookies and allow icing to set.
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One of the first rules of fiction is “write what you know.” Since cinnamon scones are one of my favorite treats, it was only natural that they’d be on the menu at the Briar Patch Bakery, a popular spot in The Wedding Bell Mysteries.
Bridal boutique owner and aspiring mystery author Maddie Bell starts each day at the bakery, where she writes two pages of her work in progress before walking across the street to open her shop. She finds the bakery’s cinnamon scones almost as hard to resist as Hemlock, North Carolina’s new sheriff, Jackson Bradley, who has offered to serve as the expert source for her books.
This recipe is easy enough to whip up on the spur of the moment – or for a delicious holiday morning treat. I hope you’ll bake a batch, brew yourself a cup of tea, and curl up with Slay Bells Ring, book one in The Wedding Bell Mysteries.
Briar Patch Cinnamon Scones
This recipe is adapted from a recipe a friend shared with me many years ago.
INGREDIENTS
3 1/4 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup (65 g) plus 2 tbsp. sugar, divided
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. cinnamon
3/4 cup (170 g) cold butter, cubed
1 cup (240 g) sour cream (or buttermilk, but if using buttermilk, omit half & half)
half & half (only if using sour cream), 1 or 2 tbsp., enough to bring the
dough together
1 package (10 oz.) cinnamon baking chips
2 tbsp. butter, melted
DIRECTIONS
#1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
#2. Cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. I use my hands for this.
#3. Stir in sour cream (or buttermilk) just until moistened. If it’s too dry, stir in enough half & half to get the right consistency.
#4. Fold in chips.
#5. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead gently 10-12 times or until dough is no longer sticky.
#6. Divide the dough in half; gently pat or roll each portion into a 7-in. circle.
Optional: Brush with butter and sprinkle with remaining sugar. I don’t do this because I prefer the scones not to be too sweet. So, I leave out this step, but it’s up to your taste.
#7. Cut each circle into six wedges.
#8. Separate wedges and place them on an ungreased baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
#9. Bake at 425° for 10-13 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm with butter or plain.
Store at room temperature in an airtight container.
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